Just A Spoonful Of Sugar
by Lil' Ass Kicker
Summary: When Killian Jones is only four, he makes a life long friend in Emma Swan. When he's five, she introduces him to Mary Poppins and he follows her advice throughout his life.


**I do not own Once Upon A Time, Killian Jones, Emma Swan, Elsa, I own nothing and I'm poor basically! Joking!**

 **I'm alright but I have been ill and spent a few days in hospital so I'd really love to wake up tomorrow morning with emails filled with '*blank* has commented on this story*' and then to open and it and be like "What a lovely human being!"**

 **Just A Spoonful Of Sugar**

 **3rd Person**

When Killian Jones is only four, he makes a life long friend in Emma Swan via accidentally knocking her over in the playground and she punched him.

They made fast friends because her father, David Nolan, forced her to say sorry and invited him and his big brother Liam round for dinner to apologize- ever since then the pair have been inseparable.

When he's five, and it's Emma's fourth birthday, the pair sit down on her couch and watch Mary Poppins for the very first time and it's safe to say he's never been so excited in all of his life- see, mummy never had a lot of money and Liam was always working so he never got to see movies and to see this with Emma was a dream come true.

(Emma had been very shocked when he told her he'd never seen it and she'd demanded they watch the DVD she loved so much, her parents had chuckled and obliged their tiny daughter- when Emma put her foot down, she meant it.)

He'd loved all of it, especially the songs in which he'd be able to hear Emma singing along to, and he'd complained how he wishes his nanny was like her- wishing he could have someone like that to look after him (and of course, including Emma because he wouldn't have all the fun alone!).

However,when the film had ended and Emma asked what his favorite scene was, his ultimate preference had to be the scene where she sang 'Just A Spoonful Of Sugar' as he'd laughed at the funny happenings in it and Emma quickly agreed.

Ever since he'd seen that scene and heard that song, he'd very hastily decided he would live by the wise Nanny's words and if she thought that just a spoonful of sugar did the trick- then it must.

Thus, when he's beloved mother got sick when he was nine, Liam helped him make her some tea and added one- just one because that all she specified- spoon of sugar into it and his mother smiled at her young son before complimenting his tea.

She died two years later, but it never wavered his trust in the woman.

* * *

Emma is thirteen years old when she stomps out of her home, throwing a coat over her shoulders and screaming as she slams the door behind her, a determined scowl on her face as she hops on the bus and irritated glare thrown at anyone who dares to look at her.

When she stomps off the bus, readjusting her school bag on her shoulder, she stops short at the sight of Killian sat on a bench with two cups in his hand- obviously from the coffee shop down the road.

She swallows down her pride and gingerly goes to him, letting him hand her the mug and scowling at his smirk. "My mom tried to plait my hair this morning." She frowns. "I didn't want it."

"I see life in the household of Emma is as fascinating as usual." He replies with a small smirk but then frowns when she does. "All that plaiting hair must tire you out, sorry Swan."

"It's stupid." She turns her back to him and goes to storm off but he coughs once and she sighs, turning back and hugging him- wrapping her free arm around his neck.

"Yes it is, now say sorry cause your mother won't stop calling me." He pulls away a little, pouting and she pecks at his lips, making him grin at the development in their relationship- seeing as they only begun dating two weeks before.

"That just makes me want to stay here all day, not saying sorry, and watching you suffer." She grins wickedly and takes a sip from her drink before pulling back and raising an eyebrow at his smirk.

"What is it, Swan?" He asks innocently, wrapping the arm that isn't holding his beverage to hold her by the waist as they walk, peeking at her through his eyelashes.

"This is tea with a spoonful of sugar." She claims and he nods. "But I'm being irrational and that's for when you're sad."

"Swan, if it was for when you aren't irrational the drink wouldn't exist." She chuckles and whacks his arm before leaning into him and kissing his cheek.

"I love you." She tells him and he smiles, kissing her softly before they carry on walking.

"Love you too, Swan."

* * *

Six weeks later, Killian is called to her home by her dad as she'd yelled about needing him and how her parents 'would never understand'- how he would is beyond him.

When he gets there, after running from his home- by God he must love her- David and Mary Margaret tell him what he knows and he rushes to their kitchen. A few minutes later, when he's satisfied that Emma's waited long enough to see him- and has been watching her resolve not to cry crumbling from where she sits outside, he opens the back doors and stands by her.

She looks up at him with red rimmed eyes that are still leaking with tears and when he sits, he places the two mugs in his hands on the floor and she crashes into him. "What happened?" He asks into her hair.

Emma sniffs, sobbing slightly before pulling herself out of it. "Regina."

He growls in annoyance and holds her closer, Regina and him have never gotten along too well and the amount Emma cries over something that girl has said to her really irks him - he hates seeing his girlfriend upset. "What did that bloody girl say to you?"

"We were arguing Killian, I know she didn't mean it! She's been such a good friend to me-"

"No she hasn't, the woman torments you and you let her, Swan!" Emma pulls away from him abruptly, sniffing and scowling at the ground. "You let people walk all over you and I don't see why, it's ridiculous because y-you... you're worth so much more than that."

Her eyes glisten and she hugs him once more. "I know, but she's going through a rough time-"

"And those other girls?" He asks and she shies away, burying her nose into his leather jacket she brought him for his birthday and he sighs. "What did Regina say?"

"Just... stuff. About you and-well-about-me." She frowns, knowing any insult to her would rattle him. "Said you didn't love me, that you couldn't because I'm awful to you-"

"You're not!" He pulls her close, kissing the top of her head softly. "And I do love you, course I do. You're amazing, Swan, and you know that." She shrugs, not entirely believing him and he sighs- leaning down and grabbing a mug before handing it to her.

"Thank you." She says before taking a sip and grinning. "A spoonful of sugar in my tea, you felt this is one of _those_ moments?" He nods, sipping at his own.

"You were sad, you need it."

* * *

Since Emma was twelve years old, her life has been dominated by four mains things. Killian, family, school and bullies. She's always wanted to cross one of those things off her list but can't ever seem to, words always catch in her throat when she tries to go against them.

Cruella De Vil, Ursula Portway and Maleficent Dragonbroke have been her bullies since she was twelve, calling her names or knocking the books from her hands in the hallways but they'd never physically hurt her.

Not until Emma turned sixteen, having been dating Killian for almost three years and still going strong and Cruella turned jealous after breaking up with her latest amusement- nudging her or tripping her up in the halls or getting people to shove her into lockers, something Killian always went on a rampage to kill the girl for.

Emma envied her boyfriend, who had only been teased when they were six til he turned ten about his accent and being a new student, however him and Liam often fought them away and soon he was pretty popular- which would mean you would think she is too.

And for the most part, she is, and she has a wide circle of friends, but these three girls dominate her life in ways she can't describe. However, since she argued with Regina the two hadn't spoken and it seemed as though Regina had turned bitter.

As Emma is packing up her books, empty corridor as she'd gotten into school late, from her locker and getting ready for her lessons, someone slammed her locker close and she'd yelped. "Oh calm down, Miss Swan." Regina grinned wickedly and Emma went back to her books but somehow Regina kicked her bag over and her books went skidding.

"Leave me alone, Regina." Emma sighs, picking up her books.

"Excuse me?" Regina smirked. "Oh no, you see, I make the demands and my demand is that you listen up." Regina pulls her up from where she's picking up her things and corners her into her locker. "I need you to do a big favor for me, just one, and I'll leave you alone. Forever."

"Forever?"

"So will the other three."

Emma raises an eyebrow, pushing past Regina and picking up her bag. "Which is?" Regina smirks and steps towards her.

"All you have to do is get me into your friends birthday, whats her name- oh! Ruby. She refused to invite me cause we fell out, but if you convince her otherwise, and get us four invited. It should be no problem leaving you alone."

Emma scoffs. "You promise to leave me alone?"

"Promise, Miss Swan, now will you do it?" Emma thinks for a moment before nodding and rushing off, ignoring Regina's smirk.

Emma meets Regina at the end of the day in the empty corridor, behind some lockers where no one will see and tells her before going to leave before a hand pushes her back into the cold metal. She's startled before Cruella steps out from behind the lockers along with Ursula and Maleficent and she goes to push past but Regina shoves her back.

"What?" Cruella laughs. "Did you really think we'd leave you alone, darling? Are you that stupid?" Emma scowls, blinking back the fear in her eyes. "Has kissing that Brit of yours knocked all sense out of you? I'm surprised he hasn't gotten you pregnant yet, with how dumb and uneducated you both are-"

"Don't you dare-"

"SHUSH, darling." Cruella grins when she does. "Why on earth would I ever give this up?"

"Maybe to be a decent human being, but you haven't the soul for that, have you now?" Emma asks, scowling and Cruella pushes her back- holding her chin with her hand and smirking at the fear in her eyes.

"You look like a dog, honestly." The other three laugh, although Emma notices Maleficent stepping back slightly and looking frustrated, ready to comment. "How on earth did you pull a hot hunk like Jones, hey?"

"Must've been that personality." Ursula smirks. "Don't see why."

Cruella chuckles and Emma glares, daring her to go on. "It's certainly not her ghastly face, look at her! She has no complexion-"

"Nose is too small for her head." Ursula laughs, squinting to look at Emma before searching her up and down. "And look at her, Cruella!"

"I know." Cruella scowls. "No figure. Too skinny, so skinny- it's disgusting!"

"When we were friends," Regina starts before making a 'throw up' motion with her mouth. "She told me she binged and purged-"

"NO I DIDN'T!" Emma erupts, turning to Regina. "I never have!"

"She's in denial." Regina laughs and Cruella laughs harder, Ursula pokes her shoulder and Emma blinks back her tears. "Can't accept her own truth."

"Such a liar!" Cruella frowns, pouts unattractively really. "I don't like liars, do you girls?"

"Nope, think they're awful." Regina grins wickedly and Ursula purses her lips before saying: "Should be punished for lying in my opinion."

"Agreed!" Cruella removes her gloves, hands them to Regina and steps towards Emma- who steps back but her head hits the locker and the girls laugh at her. Cruella seems to halt for a moment before reaching out and gingerly touching her hair. "Oh it's so scratchy, awful."

Emma moves her head out of the way but Cruella slaps her so she looks at her and the other two come and pull at her hair, making her use her hands to push them away but it angers them and Cruella growls before grabbing at her scalp and hitting her head into the locker behind her- making Emma yelp out and her vision go blurry.

"YOU ARE WORTHLESS, YOU ARE DISGUSTING." Emma's eyes leak as Cruella pushes her head back again and they all laugh at her.

"Cruella," A voice hisses and the girl turns to see Maleficent frowning. "Stop, now."

"What? Oh come on, Mal." Cruella pouts and Maleficent shakes her head. "Look at how pathetic this thing is, why would her boyfriend want her-"

"Cause he loves her. But when we started this we said no hitting, nothing physical." Maleficent has a fire in her eyes and she takes a hold on Cruella's arm. "Stop or I won't speak to Arthur for you."

This seems to turn something in Cruella's brain because she throws a defeated look at Emma before throwing her to the ground and storming off, the other two following while Maleficent takes Emma's phone- much to her protest- and calls someone before rushing off after handing Emma back her phone.

Ten minutes later, after Emma has sat up and is sobbing into her knees, she hears footsteps running and looks up to see Killian staring down at her and she holds out her arms- he crouches down and she crawls into his arms, him holding her head gently as he uses one hand to grab a tissue from his pocket and wipe the blood from her forehead where she got thrown.

"Come on, Swan." He helps her stands and helps her walk, because she feels woozy, to the bathroom where he cleans her wound before reaching into his bag and pulling out a thermal mug- letting her sip at it and she sobs when she's sitting on the bathroom floor in his arms.

"Tea with a spoonful of sugar." She states, sipping it and he brushes the hair from her face and kisses her forehead.

"I'm going to sort this out for you, Swan, no more holding back." She nods. "Promise you won't try stop me?"

She smiles slightly, he's been dying to do something for ages. "Promise."

* * *

To Emma's shock, her bullying woes finish there and Killian looks fairly proud of himself as he spots Arthur walking down the halls with Cruella, whenever she glares at Emma he'll glare and she'll pout before walking away and dragging him along.

Two months after the incident, Maleficent approaches her by her lockers with a letter and passes it to her before scuttling away and Emma sees Killian smirking at her retreating form as she reads the letter she'd been given. "Well?"

"Sorry," Emma scowls down at it. "She's saying sorry to me, Killian, she thinks a letter does it! Does she realize-"

He places his hands on her arms to calm her down. "It's a start."

Emma just closes her locker, throwing the letter in and takes his awaiting hand, walking with him to the coffee shop down the road where he tells her he'll order for her and she sits in their seat at the back, twiddling her thumbs and biting her lip anxiously- she doesn't trust this girl after so many years of torment.

After everything Maleficent did, she's meant to forget. The girl started all of the hate, agreed to continue and made her life miserable! But she also stopped it, stopped Cruella from hurting her further and apologized- it must count for something but Emma can't forgive so easily, even if the girl has changed.

She's pulled from the thoughts by Killian handing her a warm mug and she takes a sip only to grin down at it and he looks up at her from his mug, the picture of innocence even as she grins wickedly and sips at her mug. "You're stressed, meaning tea time."

"Is tea your solution to everything, Jones?" He shakes his head with a smile and pulls her close, almost making her spill her beverage but she holds on so she protects them both from being scalded by the burning hot liquid.

"Nope, but just a spoonful of sugar is, love."

* * *

They're nineteen and twenty, still together and live in a two bedroom apartment near her parents- both working fairly decent jobs and everyone claims they're very lucky to have found what they have- when a big shock comes their way.

Her parents had always told her stories of couples being married and having children after a year or two, and were firm believers that a baby when married is much better than out.

Therefore, whilst they're still so young with a whole life planned out for them, they both almost cry at the sight of two pink lines on a pregnancy test- one she'd never intended on using and kept as a _just in case_ from Maleficent (after the two patched it up when Killian and her moved in together last year).

Killian's excited, practically blowing sparkles from his eyes as he leans down to whisper secrets to their apparent unborn child, and she supposes its a good thing he's so happy- because then at least she won't be alone and he won't leave her, not that she thought he ever would.

But children were in their _future._

Of course they'd spoken about children, you aren't together with someone since you're thirteen and never speak about it, it's only natural. But they were always long distance chats, about when they're in their thirties with a huge house and jobs that pay a million a day and they have a big car that can fit seven children in it, not now. Not when they have average jobs and are still technically learning, living on a mattress that's lumpy and she can't cook to save her life and he gets home late sometimes so they'll just order in.

It's not supposed to go like this and they both know it, but she can't help but feel happy and she tells him as much so he doesn't worry.

However, that night, after he's treated her to his cooking and has thrown away anything that could hurt her or their child, and they're watching a movie, she gets an angry phone call from her mother.

Apparently Liam, the only person they'd told, had called them to congratulate them on being grandparents are it's safe to say they were not happy. Killian watched as his loves face morphed from confused to shocked, then to hurt and surprised before settling on hurt and she hung up the phone on her mother. "She yelled at me, telling me it was my fault that I-" She stops herself.

"What did she say?"

"She was mad cause she had to hear it from someone else and she kept on mentioned wedlock, having a baby out of wedlock, how will it make them look?" Emma's eyes glisten with tears. "She was so mad, Killian, I'm scared she doesn't want-"

"Hey, hey, Swan." He halts her, taking her phone and laying it on the coffee table before pressing a kiss to her forehead and she leans into him. "It's just because she wanted to hear from you, love, nothing else. I'm sure that Mary Margaret will come around, she loves you too much not to."

"I know but it hurts hearing her be so mad." Emma sniffs. "And when people find out it'll be worse." He sighs because he knows. "I mean, it means Cruella was right y'know? What will everyone say, oh Killian wh-"

"It's going to be okay, love." He assures her. "And who cares about what Cruella thinks or says, from what I hear her and Arthur are doing very well with being nice- I made sure he got her to be nice to you."

"I know you did, Jones." She still frowns and her hand settles on her stomach. "But we're young parents, I still have the word teen in my age, people will think so badly. They'll say 'oh, Emma Swan, the girl who couldn't keep her legs closed' or they'll say our baby's a bastard like my mother-"

"Your mother said that?" He frowns, his own hand coming to rest over hers and he strokes her flat belly softly.

"In passing, when she said what people would think. She'd said how we'd have to explain why our baby is a bastard if people ask because 'she sure as hell doesn't know' and it-"

"Swan, you listen to me." He pulls her to look at him, still having a firm hand splaying across her stomach. "I love you, I love our baby and I know you do too. Nothing else matters, and your mother will come around, especially when it comes to planning a baby shower," She chuckles, sniffs and nods while holding the hand that's on her abdomen. "And as for people?"

"People say things."

"Lets just say Cruella may or may not be in the same predicament," He shrugs and she grins, raising an eyebrow. "Oh yeah, Arthur is one terrified man." She laughs, and he holds her hand tighter before standing up abruptly and walking away- leaving her holding her hand over her stomach and to chat to their unborn baby.

He comes back after she rambles about how lucky their baby will be to have him, pretending not to listen from the kitchen even as his eyes fill with happy tears at the thought of their child, and he's holding two mugs and she can just _tell_ what he has.

"We gotta introduce the little bean to Mary Poppins, love, I won't have it any other way." He grins as she sips at her drink and sighs in contentment.

"Promise we'll show them, and we'll sing that song you love so much." She winks at him and how wide he smiles at the thoughts he has about them having a baby, making his grin widen with every word they speak.

"Just a spoonful of sugar helps the medicine go down." He sings to the baby, even though he's no where near her abdomen, just laying a hand there and relishing in the moment is enough.

"Dork."

"Dad." He states, winking at her and she laughs. "Mum."

* * *

Julie Margaret Jones is born at ten in the morning, weighing almost eight pounds (Killian knew he'd been feeding Emma enough), an excellent apgar score of nine out of ten and her length was a perfect twenty inches, making the new parents happier then they could ever imagine.

To Emma's relief and Killian impressed expression, she feeds like a champ and Killian does pout about having to share before becoming captivated with watching his daughter again, they're both so utterly happy and spent all they drink is tea and they forget the sugar since they aren't stressed.

When she's four months old and has just finished feeding with her mummy, Killian takes her to tell her stories before she goes to bed and the pair get a call from Elsa in the middle of the night- Emma answers in her, recently, constantly happy tone which is quickly torn apart when the woman gives her awful news.

Emma comes off the phone and approaches the nursery where Killian is, gingerly knocking on the door and finding him on the rocking chair with Julie- telling her a story from Emma and Killian's relationship, something about Rockefeller Center and she remembers it as clear as day. "Killian," She starts in a broken voice and he looks up with a smile, Julie whining because her story has paused. "I'm sorry."

"What for, love?" He spots a tear fall down her face and she comes to sit on his lap, avoiding knocking Julie and cuddling into his side. "Is everything alright? Are you alright?"

She shakes her head, burying her face into his pajama top and lets Julie play with her fingers. "Liam's dead."

If his sharp intake of breath is anything to go by, he wasn't expecting that at all and his breathing pattern changes until she's sure he's sobbing and she hugs him close. "How did this happen? Did he just... die or what?" She sighs, holding him to her and Julie is whining at seeing him so upset.

"He had a brain hemorrhage, baby, I'm so sorry." She goes to take Julie so she can put her to bed and comfort him properly but he stops her, cuddling their baby girl closer to him.

"Please don't, I don't want to let her go, love." He tells her questioning look and she nods, holding his now tear streaked face in her hands and wiping away his sadness- wishing she could take his pain. "I need you two, please, I-"

"It's okay, Killian, baby you have us." She kisses his cheek softly. "And we got you, understand that?" He nods. "Julie will get daddy being a bit sad, she'd give you a cuddle, won't she?"

"Yeah, she will." He pulls Julie up to balance her on his knees before laying her across his chest and smattering her head with kisses, then making Emma lay her head next to Julie's and doing the same and she understands his need to have them there. Close to his heart.

Safe.

It's three hours later, when he's not crying and they put a now sleeping Julie to bed, when she leads him to the kitchen and makes him some tea, taking a tip out of his book and laying it down in front of him with an innocent smile- watching as he takes a sip and his eyebrow raises in recognition, watching as his eyes fill with tears and he pulls her to him.

"I love you so much, Emma Swan." He tells her, tears seeping into her shirt and she kisses the top of his head and whispers words of love and encouragement to him.

"Love you too, Killian Jones."

* * *

Over the course of the next three months, the couples intake of sugar and tea is unhealthy and the amount of time they spend telling Julie all about her Uncle Liam is insane- winding up past memories of the man they loved so dearly and who loved the family all the same, especially his niece.

When Julie turns one, the pair marry and that's enough to make the sugar levels in their blood raise- trying to organize a wedding on top of their jobs, family life and balancing time for each other on top.

However it was worth it, so very worth it, to be married at the end and to call themselves 'Mr and Mrs Jones' and to see Julie be carried down the aisle by Elsa with a giant grin directed at her Daddy- very, very worth it.

After only two months of being married they'd discovered Emma was pregnant again and it was safe to say they were both excited- Killian not holding back in yelling his happiness out to the entire street and the cops were called about a disturbance.

(He regrets nothing.)

Julie was overjoyed at the prospect of a baby sibling, seeing as she always loved to play house with her parents and often got bored when alone at home- she was only two when they told her so the thought of a baby was very thrilling and she too yelled about like her father, making Emma roll her eyes and watch the look-alikes dance around.

A little under seven months later they welcomed a baby boy and named him Liam David Jones. They assumed that he like his name although their six pound baby seemed to wail from the moment he was born- only halting in his cries when handed to a very exhausted Emma and ecstatic Killian.

Their baby boy certainly had a good pair of lungs on him, constantly letting his parents know if he wasn't happy about something and Killian always told his wife that their baby must take after Mummy in that retrospect- she would have punched him but he was holding precious cargo.

At least they could always tell where he is, just follow the wails.

When Julie is four, Liam one and a half, Emma finds herself back on the other end of the sugar in your tea stick when it's Liam's (Killian's brother's) birthday and they seemed to be at an impasse on what to do.

Emma felt like they should go and see Liam, and Killian had agreed so they tried to get a sitter but her parents were on holiday and so were most of their friends- seeing as it was the summer and all had plans they made weeks or even months in advance- but the pair didn't want to bring the two young ones there in case it upset them.

However, at the same time, they wanted to go and Emma didn't want Killian to go alone as he'd first suggested- he didn't want such a hassle but Emma insisted she wanted to be there for him.

Elsa had wanted to go to dinner that night to remember Liam (whom she had been seeing before he died), going to his favorite restaurant when he was alive as they did every year, and they were going to bring the kids- and they would have since they couldn't find a way to make it to the cemetery- however it didn't go that way.

Unfortunately, Julie got ill that morning and ended up throwing up since six am and ergo, they couldn't leave her at all. Killian refused to leave his baby girls side, forcing his eyes open even to watch her sleep in case she felt the urge to vomit again, and it made Emma worry because he hadn't spoken to anyone at all that morning or afternoon.

He's suggested she go alone to see Elsa, not wanting to let the other woman down but Emma had said no and they'd rescheduled- claiming their children came first and Elsa had understood, although she was slightly upset. It irked her when, at eight o'clock after the children were both asleep, he'd sulked his way out of Julie's room and perched beside her- face like a slapped arse on him and her scowl deepened when he frowned at her choice of telly.

"You okay?" She'd asked, tampering down her annoyance in spite of her need to blow off, and he'd just nodded- not saying a word and just rubbing at his scruff. "Julie alright?" His silent nod again. "Have I done something wrong, why do I get the silent treatment?"

To her utter irritation and absolute anger filled brain, his small shrug was enough. "Killian!" She snapped, sitting up on the sofa to meet his shocked eyes. "Snap out of it!"

"I don't want to talk, Swan."

"Jones." She corrects, sitting properly beside him and nudging his shoe protected foot with her socked one- he always wore shoes around the house, no matter whether he was going out or not. "Talk to me, c'mon. Is this about the cemetery?"

"No." He growls out, but him biting down on his thumbnail tells her otherwise. "Not entirely."

"Then tell me. Is it because I cancelled with Elsa? Because I didn't want you to go alone to see him?" He shrugs again, and she can see the irritation in his eyes before she huffs and stands up, walking away from him to the kitchen and turning on the kettle to make herself a hot chocolate.

"You should have gone."

Emma growls as she pulls out the cocoa from the cupboard. "No, I shouldn't have. I should be here, helping with Liam and Julie- she was sick, you were with her, I was with Liam."

"I could have taken care of them both, Swan." He defends himself and she rolls her eyes. "I'm their father-"

"Well aware of that, Jones, I was there when they were made." She huffs, preparing her drink and wincing when she throws her spoon into her mug and it clatters. "I didn't want to leave you alone with it. It's the last thing you needed today-"

"You think I couldn't do it, that it would be too much to take care of my own children-"

"No, Killian," She stops him, approaching him with one raised finger to shut him up. "I don't think that. I said I didn't want to leave you, a sick kid and a baby isn't how you spend today-"

"I was taking care of our children, that is how you spend every-single-day. We're parents, Swan, it's what we do-"

"I know!" She scowls. "But I just didn't want-"

"To leave me where I can't handle it! I can handle our children," She rolls her eyes, pressing a warm hand to her forehead where she feels a headache coming along- annoyed about how it's suddenly turned into a fight. "If you think I'm so incompetent then you should have chosen someone else-"

He cuts himself on that point, knowing he wouldn't have meant whatever he would have said, but it doesn't stop her from slapping him- making his head turn as tears brim her eyes. "You know damn well I don't think that, I love you and you're all I want. I couldn't have chosen anyone else, no one else is good enough and I don't love anyone else so you SHUT UP."

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean that at all, I just felt mad-"

"I feel mad, but I wouldn't say that!" She exclaims, wiping away any tears that could threaten to fall. "I know today is hard for you but you don't say things like that, not now and not ever. I'm trying to help you, I've helped all day and all I wanted was to talk to you- take that back."

"You know I take it back, Swan." He huffs, rubbing a hand over his face and walking away from her. "I need to take a walk, I'm sorry."

"Fine." She whispers to the empty space, listening as he shuts the door lightly on his way out and she turns back to the sink to finish her drink but ends up dumping it and reaching for the sugar.

Sitting on the window seat two hours later, cold and undrunk tea by her side because she could never make it as good as her husband can, pressing her finger against the glass as she waits to hear him come home.

She's still there an hour later when the phone rings and she runs to it, hoping to hear his voice and instead hearing the cool tone of some woman she's never met- informing her she needs to get to the Emergency Room as soon as possible, telling her Killian has been in an accident and needs her.

* * *

Emma bundles up a confused and tired Julie into the car with some toys so she stays occupied, the little girl calling out for her Dad the entire time, while Liam is strapped into his car seat- still asleep- with a blanket and his favorite stuffed toy.

They make it to the hospital within an hour, they lived in the middle of no where- finally getting their dream house on the outskirts of the town in Storybrooke yet it also being very remote- and it always took forever to go anywhere. Liam finally wakes up when his mother puts him in a stroller and he whines for his 'dad-dad' because of Julie's ditress over not having her father there.

To her hatred, the nurse at reception can't tell her much and she's forced to bouncing her knee with Liam on it to keep him quiet and pressing kisses into Julie's hair so the little girl won't notice her crying- tears falling into her curly blonde locks. "Mommy, where's Daddy?"

"He's here baby, we're waiting for him," Emma answers, swallowing down the lump in her throat as the little girl takes the answer. "Why don't you grab a book and read to Mommy?"

Julie nods and toddles off to a nearby table to find a book, taking her time in surveying the choices- Killian always read to her every night and probably did tonight and she'll never sleep without a book being read to her.

Finally, after Julie has been reading for fifteen minutes and the book is coming to an end, a doctor approaches her with an offer for a receptionist to look after the kids- and Emma senses the tone that they may not want to see Killian in whatever state he may or may not be in.

Doctor Whale is nice and explains what happens to her in as much detail as he can, picking up bits and pieces from whoever called the ambulance.

Killian had been driving around town, supposedly someone had found destroyed flowers in the passenger seat and she fights the urge to smile at how he'd probably brought them to apologize to her, when a drunk driver came out of no where and swerved so that their entire side went straight into his front window- knocking him back with such a force he could have cracked his neck. But he didn't.

Instead of a cracked neck, he'd resulted in getting thrown around as his car fell into a ditch and rolled over three times- officially trapping his left hand between the seat and car controls and they had to amputate it to get him out.

(She'd sobbed straight on from then as Doctor Whale developed, it seemed that whatever could be wrong... well it was that times five.)

Unfortunately, unfortunately the Doctor said- oh she felt like slapping him for how unfortunate it was- that Killian was suffering from mild head trauma yet moderate spinal trauma (she doesn't see how, surely if one is awful then so is the other, _what the hell even is moderate trauma anyway?_ She thinks bitterly.) as well as a broken leg, internal bleeding in his pancreas and appendix, a tear in his liver and to top it all off he'd fractured three ribs.

"He may not make it, Mrs Jones." Doctor Whale tells her and she hugs her cardigan closer to her body, nodding along with what he says although she desperately wants to see him- and the kind, although tactless, man seems to catch on as he leads her to a nearby ward and directs her to where he is, allowing her to make it on her own time.

 **Intensive Care Unit** the big letters at the beginning of the ward, up there above the doors in bold lettering, says and she pushes her way in- a chirpy nurse pointing her towards where he is.

There are three other people in his ward, one a drunk with a liver failure of some kind and one in an accident similar to him while one kind man in his forties had fallen from a ladder of some kind- needing surgery ASAP.

(The kind man in his forties offers her a tissue when she bursts out into tears and asks one of the nurses to buy her a cup of tea. She knows the tea won't be the way she needs it, especially since the one person who could make it the way she needs is the reason she's so upset.)

In the end, after three hours spend sobbing into his remaining hand that she holds, she goes back to their children- cleaning up her face as she prepares to bring them up, she won't be able to keep this a secret from them.

Julie bursts out crying when she sees her daddy, burying her face into the blankets around him and she feels her heart break- watching as the other three in the ward glance over with tears in their eyes, most likely judging her for showing her daughter this.

She presses kisses into Liam's brown hair, so much like Killian's, and knows he doesn't understand what's happened- letting their little man fall asleep against her chest and sitting by Killian's side until Julie finally tires herself out and bundles herself under the sheets with her dad- holding onto his injured wrist and falling asleep in the crook of his neck.

Forgetting where she is and drained from the whole day, she lets Julie stay where she is and falls asleep herself on the awkward, sterile, hospital chair.

To her surprise, she wakes up in the morning covered with a blanket and her baby boy is awake by Killian's side- cooing at his unconscious father- and Julie is looking up at her sadly but has a proud expression on her face while a nurse named Tink stands by her with a mug in her hands. "Mrs Jones?"

Emma, finally awake and conscious of her tiny daughter wandering around and finding nurses in the building. "I'm so sorry, Tink, she probably just wandered-"

"Actually, Mrs Jones, she's been keeping me company all morning and as a thank you," Tink grins at her new friend, making Emma raise an eyebrow, brushing a hand through her messy and tangled hair. "She asked to use the kitchen to make Mummy some tea."

Emma smiles down at her daughter and sits up straight, picking up the girl and lifting her onto her lap so she can give her a kiss on the forehead. "Thank you, baby." Tink hands Emma the steaming hot mug and she's careful to rest it on the wooden arm of the chair so she won't scold her daughter. "Thank you, Tink."

Tink gives her a wink and taps Julie's nose softly, making the little girl giggle, and walks away. Julie watches her go before turning to stare at her mother, then back at the tea, then to her mother, and back again. This continues for a few minutes before Emma submits, grins and takes a sip- gasping as the taste hits her tongue.

"Tea with a spoonful of sugar?" Julie nods excitedly and Emma feels like crying, it tastes just as amazing as Killian always makes it.

"Just like Daddy does when we're sad."

* * *

Emma decides from then on to bring her husband the exact same amount of happiness their daughter brought her then, a slither of hope in a dreary and dire circumstance, and for the past two months she's brought him tea with a spoonful of sugar- popping it by his bedside table and staying for hours by his side until she leaves later and keeps it there in case he wakes up.

Two months and his internal bleeding is one hundred percent vanished, head trauma also gone while his spinal injury is now managed, broken leg is mostly healed and the tear in the liver was operated on not two days after he came in, his ribs are almost healed yet won't be for a few more weeks.

All they need is for him to wake up and he'll heal faster, seeing her and their children will help him- or so all the nurses say.

Emma's parents and Elsa also stay in the hospital when she can't, which is only when she's working or in bed at home as she mostly sleeps at the hospital. Julie comes straight from school and stays until dinner when Elsa will take her, feed her and bring her back for Emma to take her home while Liam spends all of his days with Emma at Killian's side.

(Julie is jealous about how long they get to spend with him but her school have taken so many liberties with her, letting her go home early or have weeks off to spend them all with family, so Emma has to send her in against her better wishes.)

After two more weeks of the same, boring, dull routine Emma has come to abhour, Killian's constant, sleeping, breathing pattern changes and he lets out a cough- making Emma squeeze his hand and speak frantically to him and call a nurse, pressing the button far to many times.

"Swan..." He whispers to her, voice raspy and nurses come rushing in then- going to his side and doing what they need to do. "I'm sorry-"

"Shush, it's my fault, it's okay." She pulls his only hand to her lips and kisses it, smiling happily at him and happy tears roll down her face. "You focus on getting better, baby."

Within seconds he's gone again but it doesn't dampen her mood for the rest of the day, just knowing he woke up for all of that time to apologize. He doesn't wake up for another two days and even then it's only for a few minutes but after he wakes every day and soon after again its every few hours.

After two weeks, he's finally managed to be awake for an hour and it's enough for her. He can finally move his head around and he'd been very shocked to discover he's missing his hand, worried how their children will react but she assures him that Julie only holds onto his wrist whenever she visits.

Finally, _finally_ , after another few weeks, he can sit up in bed and walk around. The first thing Emma gives to him after his first walk, which nearly killed him he said, is a mug and he doesn't hesitate before gulping at it- but gasps and grins up at her. "You switched our roles then, Swan?"

"A spoonful of sugar helps the medicine go down."

* * *

 **Okay, so this was emotionally draining buttt I wrote it for my friend Aiyana and it took days after being sick for four weeks and a hospital trip so... hope you liked! :)**

 **Also, just saying, she wanted me to kill him off and I didn't for you guys.**


End file.
